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The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Vegetable Marketing Organization (VMO) and the Federation of Vegetable Marketing Co-operative Societies Ltd (FVMCS) launched an initiative today (November 23) to promote locally grown accredited vegetables with a view to supporting local agricultural development and offering safe and fresh vegetables to consumers.
Speaking at a press conference, Assistant Director (Agriculture) of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Dr Liu Kwei-kin said, "The Government is committed to promoting local production of quality vegetables to meet market demand through the provision of infrastructure and technical advice to local farmers. In fact, the introduction of new varieties of crops is always well received by farmers and consumers.
Dr Liu noted that accredited vegetables are produced in farms accredited by the AFCD and marketed through the VMO to accredited retailers. "Through this initiative, we hope members of the public will learn more about and consume more locally grown accredited vegetables, while the close collaboration between the AFCD and the local farmers will be extended from the production process to marketing," he said.
Flowering Chinese cabbage and Chinese kale are always in great demand during the winter season. To ensure the adequate supply of the local varieties, 28 accredited farms have joined the initiative to grow these two vegetables for this winter season.
Other accredited farmers will also provide support to this initiative by supplying other locally grown vegetables such as Italian lettuce, Indian lettuce, Shanghai cabbage, Tientsin cabbage and Chinese white cabbage to complement the full range of local production.
Officers of the AFCD will pay regular visits to the accredited farms to ensure the vegetables are grown in accordance with AFCD's advice and to resolve any production problems that the farmers may encounter.
Starting tomorrow (November 24), the FVMCS with the support of the AFCD and the VMO, will organise a farmers' market at Lam Tei, Tuen Mun on Sundays to develop a sales channel for accredited vegetables produced in the New Territories. Some 20 stalls manned by farmers and a games zone for children will be set up at the market. There will also be a cooking demonstration session on the first Sunday of every month to make the market a holiday attraction for members of the public.
The locally grown accredited vegetables are also available at designated accredited retail outlets at six wet markets in Wan Chai, North Point, Mei Foo, Lok Fu, Lam Tin and Tseung Kwan O. The vegetables, packed in plastic bags marked with the words "Hong Kong Accredited Vegetables" and placed on designated shelves, can be easily recognised.
The VMO has also launched a mobile application enabling Android device users to purchase quality vegetables direct from the Premium Vegetables Section anytime and anywhere. The VMO offers free delivery and discounts from time to time. The version for the iOS platform will be available later.
Launched in 1994, the Accredited Farm Scheme is available for local farmers to join on a voluntary basis. The AFCD monitors the production processes of the accredited farms and offers advice on the correct use of pesticides. Regular inspections are conducted and samples of vegetables are taken from the field for examination of pesticide residues. To ensure food safety, the VMO will further sample the vegetables for pesticide residue analysis at the wholesale market.
Ends/Saturday, November 23, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:23
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